Can opening device



Aug. 30, 1960 Patented Aug. 30, 19

AN OFENINQ DEVICE John Yogi Izumi, 5481 S. Lake Park Ave, Chicago, Iii.

Filed July 26, 1955, Ser. No. 524,522

4 Claims. (Cl. '3il3) This invention relates generally to a can-opening device of the type in which a pouring opening is cut into the can end and is an improvement upon the device shown in my Patent No. 2,687,569, dated August 31, 1954.

Can openers of this general type, as heretofore made, are subject to one very noticeable objection in that in cutting the pouring opening into the end of the can they left a raw cut edge in the plane of the can end. This raw edge could be engaged by the fingers or even the tongue of one using the can, for example, a beer can when drinking directly from the can.

This invention overcomes this objection by so cutting the can as to curl the cut edge inwardly in such a manner as to leave no raw edge readily engageable by the user of the can. The can opener of this invention may be or" the wall mounting type as shown in my prior patent or of the hand-operated variety generally referred to as a beer can opener. Furthermore, by the provision of an additional lip, the can opener also becomes a bottle opener.

A better understanding of my new and improved can opener will be had from the following description when read in connection with the drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a wall bracket type of can opener constructed in accordance with this invention and illustrating a can about to be punctured;

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the device shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical section taken through approximately the center of the device shown in Figure 1 showing the can completely cut;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 4-4- of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Figure 3; and,

Fi ure 6 is a prospective view illustrating this invention as applied to a hand opener.

The can opening device disclosed herein and illustrated in Figures 1 through 5 is intended to be supported in a stationary position as on a wall and is adapted to be operated simply by placing a can in the device and swinging the can forwardly toward the wall or supporting means with a generally arcuate motion by one hand. in other words, the can itself serves as a lever on which force is applied to puncture the can, as disclosed in my prior patent. The device of this invention performs well upon cans having the usual beaded ends such as beer cans, or upon cans having practically no beaded ends such as the usual evaporated milk cans. As in my prior patent, after the opening has been cut the can cutting element is free for withdrawal, and the can can be readily removed. Upon removal of the can the opening mechanisms automatically return to position for the next operation.

As shown in my prior patent, to which reference is made for details of construction, not herein described, the device comprises a generally elongated trough-like frame or housing 10 adapted to be secured in horizontal position by a wall bracket 16a at one end of the housing. Within the housing 10 is a can positioner or guide 11 pivotally mounted within said housing, a can puncturing or cutting element 12 pivoted to said guide, and a triggering means 13 also pivoted to the housing at its opposite end from the bracket and adapted to control the can puncturing or cutting element.

The can positioner or guide 11 is, in general, an open rectangular-shaped member positioned within the housing 19 and pivoted at one end upon a horizontal pin '18 spanning the sides of the housing at a point adjacent the center of the latter. The guide 11 tends to rotate counterclockwise about its pivot (Figure 1). The side arms of the guide 11 are provided with open notches or hooks 21 at the pivoted end for receiving the seamed or beaded end of can C when the latter is placed with its end against the side arms as shown in Figures 1 and 3 thus permitting the can to be used as the operating medium or lever.

The can puncturing and cutting element functions as in my prior patent, i.e., automatically upon movement of the can and the guide to puncture and cut the can end and release after cutting. The cutter has in general, the form of that member of my patent. As shown in Figures 1 to 5 the cutter 12 lies between the sides of the can guide 11 and is pivoted thereto by a horizontal pivot pin 24 spanning the guide 11 at a point slightly removed rearwardly and downwardly from pivot pin 18. This causes pin 24- to travel in an arcuate path as the guide 11 is swung by the can when the latter is moved in can opening direction, i.e., forwardly. This causes the cutter to move forwardly and downwardly as the can and guide is moved from the position of Figure 1 to Figure 3.

The forward portion 25 of the cutter, i.e., that portion extending forwardly of pivot pin 24 is generally triangular in plan and curving slightly downward to a puncturing point 26. Instead of having substantially vertical sides as in my prior patent the forward portion 25 is formed with a slight mushroom or hood-like head portion 25a. That is the upper portion extends outwardly as shown more clearly in Figure 4 to provide outwardly inclined and curved sides 2512, the under edges of which serve as cutting edges and the sides themselves serve as curling or forming surfaces for rounding the cut edges Ca of the can inwardly as shown in Figure 3.

The portion 27 extending rearwardly of the pivot pin 2-:- is generally flat and rectangular in shape and is in ef ect the actuating end for the cutting element. The weight of end 27 tends to rotate the cutting element in a clockwise direction as shown in Figures 1 and 3 until the forward end strikes the pin 18 at which time the piercing end lies with the point 26 just above the top of the can as shown in Figure 1 and the end 27 engages the top of the housing, and with pin 18 determines the normal positions of the various parts.

As in my prior patent a trigger 13 is provided to control or trigger the operation of the cutter 12. The trigger comprises a dog pivotally mounted upon a horizontal pin spanning the rear end of frame 1% Due to its weight the dog tends to assume the position shown in Figures 1 and 3 in which position it engages the underside of end 27 of the cutting element and prevents further rotation of the cutting element about its pivot 24. Upon movement of the guide 11 the cutter swings areuately about pivot 18 thus causing the end 27 to slide off the upper edge of dog 13. This frees the cutting element for return rotation under the influence ofthe weight of its end 27, which is permitted by rotation of dog 13 about its pivot. Following return of the cutter, dog 13 returns to its normal position due to its own weight.

In order that the cutter may be used as a bottle opener that portion of the uide 11 between the hooks 21 is formed with a projecting abutment or lip 22 for engaging the edge of a bottle cap. To open a bottle the bottle is inserted in the same position as shown for the can V r 3 in Figure 1 with the fluted edge of the cap engaging the abutment 22. By moving the bottle downwardly and forwardly in the same manner in which the can is moved the bottlecap will be removed.

In Figure 6 thereis shown another form of this inven tion illustrating how it can be used as the ordinary hand-operated can opener in the'nature of that generally referred to as a beer can opener. In this form of the invention the cutting element indicated, generally by the reference character 12a, has a forward puncturing and cutting element 25 as previously described including the mushroom portion 25a and an extended rear portion 27a forming the handle for operating the opener.

The mushroom or hooded head 25a is similar to that shown in Figures -1 through 5 and has the outwardly inclined cutting and curling sides for cutting an opening in the can end and curling the cut edges inwardly as previously shown and described. That is the lower edge of the inclined side cuts the opening and the tapered sides 25b curl the cut edge downwardly and inwardly Inthis form of the invention the rear portion 27a is provided with two projecting side portions 30 adjacent the rear end of the cutting end which portions are provided with forwardly opening slots or hooks 21a for engaging the headed end of a can and forming the fulcrum point about which the cutter is swung. If desired this form of the invention may also be provided with bottle opening lip 22. This lip may be a cross continuation of the side portions 30 as shown in Figure 6 or the lip may be struck downwardly from the handle portion 27a.

As maid in the understanding of the wall type form of this invention, the positions and movements thereof will be described as an incident to a can punching operation. Let it bev assumed, therefore, that the various elements are in their normal positions, that is, with the actuating end 27 of the cutting element against the top a of the housing and with the guide 11 extending obliquely downwardly and forwardly. The piercing end 26 of the cutter will occupy what might be termed a retracted position relative to the can guide, as shown in Figure 1, and the triggering means or dog 13 will be in its normal position. To open a can it is simply grasped in one hand, one edge engaged in the hooks 21, and the can then swung forwardly toward vertical position of the can. As a result, the positioning and guiding means swings about its pivot shaft 18, relative to the supporting frame 10. While the means 11 is free to pivot, the cutting means 12 is not, for its actuating end 27 is held against. pivotal movement by the triggering means 13. As a consequence, there is relative pivotal movement between the means 11 and the cutter 12, and the piercing end 26 is forced into the can and shears a triangular'segment 33 (Figure 3) from the top of the can and bends the same downwardly inside the can, as shown in Figure 3. At the same time the tapered sides 25b curl the cut edges downwardly or inwardly of the can where they are inaccessible to do damage to the user of the can.

Due'to the positioning of pivot pins 18 and 24, as already described, the cutting element has an obliquely downward and forward movement causing the actuating end 27 of the element to be withdrawn from the dog 13 after the segment 33 of the can top has been well bent into the can and prior to the time that the can strikes the bottom edge of the guide. The cutter is now free and rotates in a clockwise direction due to the weight of' its end 27 thereby withdrawing the end. 25 out of the can, and the latter is then free without any obstructions whatsoever to be disengaged from the hooks 21. Upon removal of the can the can positioning and guiding means 11 swings back in a counterclockwise direction to its normal, oblique position carrying the cutter 12 with it. As the actuating end 27 of the element strikes the dog 13, it pivots to permit the end 27 to pass by tion. previously given.

and come to rest against the underside of the top of the housing. The dog 13 then swings back to its normal position where it is again in the path of the actuating end 27 of the cutter and the device is again in condition for the next can opening operation.

It is believed apparent from the foregoing that I have perfected an efficient wall type can opening device in which the device itself need not be touched and only one hand is required for the can opening operation and which curls the cut edges downwardly so as to be harmless to the user.

The operation and function of the hand can opener shown in Figure 6 is believed obvious from the descrip- It likewise curls the cutedges so as to render them harmless.

While preferred embodiments have been shown and described it is apparent that my invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative constructions without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims. 4

I claim: 1

1. A can opening device comprising in combination, a housing, a can guide pivotally mounted near one of its ends in said housing, said guide having a hook adjacent its pivoted end for engaging the beaded end of a can, and a triangularly shaped can puncturing element pivotally mounted within said guide adjacent its pivoted end at a point removed from the guide pivot, said cutting element having a puncturing end inposition to contact a can placed against said guide, said cutting element also having an oppositely extending actuating portion adapted to engage said housing to limit pivotal movement of said cutting element about its pivot in one direction during the initial pivoting of said guide to retain the cutting element in normal position, the puncturing end of said cutting element having outwardly inclined diverging cutting sides each provided with lower cutting edges surmounted by outwardly tapering sides to curl the cut edges of the can inwardly as the can is cut.

2. A can-opening device having a generally triangularly shaped can-puncturing element terminating in a puncturing point and having diverging cutting sides and an oppositely extending actuating end, and means between said two ends for engaging beaded ends of a can to permit pivotal movement of said device and cutting of the can end by said cutting element, said diverging cutting sides having outwardly inclined forming sides whereby the cut edges of the can are curled inwardly as cutting of the can progresses. V

3. In a can-opening device, a can-puncturing and cutting element having a generally triangularly shaped cutting end and an oppositely extending actuating end, said puncturing and cutting end having a puncturing point and cutting edges diverging therefrom, and means for engaging the beaded ends of a can to permit pivotal movement of said device and cutting of the can end by said cutting element, said diverging cutting edges having outwardly curved sides formed to curl the cut edges of.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Grill June 8, 1954 Izumi Aug. 31, 1954 

